Rail-joint.



A. G. GEE.

BAIL JOINT.

APPLIGATION FILED NOV.12. 191s.

Patented May 12, 1914.

WITNESSES.

(SW M.

INVENTOR BY @Cw ALBERT C. GEE, OF ST. THOMAS, ONTARIO, CANADA.

RAIL-JOINT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 12, 1914.

Application filed November 12, 1913. Serial No. 800,575.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I. ALBERT C. Gnu of the city of ht. Thomas, county of Elgin, Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail- Joints, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to means for connecting the ends of railway rails to form a continuous track. As usually constructed such joints only permit the expansion and contraction of the rails when the nuts of the bolts employed are loose and this is a dangerous condition.

My object is to devise a perfectly secure joint which will permit the rail ends to slide sufliciently to allow for expansion and contraction of the rails.

I attain my object by forming the splice bars so that they will support the rail bases and by fitting sleeves on the bolts which are of sufficient length to prevent the nuts jamming against the splice bars substantially as hereinafter more specifically described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the rail joint constructed in my invention, partly broken away; Fig. 2 is a cross section of the same; and Fig. 3 is a plan view of one of the bolts partly in section.

In the drawings like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the difl'erent figures.

1 is a rail end.

2 is a splice bar embracing the bases of the rail and fitting close to the webs of the same. This splice bar, while it may be made in one piece, is preferably divided centrally and longitudinally at its lower side. On this splice bar the bases of the rails sit, while the sides fit close to the sides of the webs without binding thereon. The bolts 3 adjacent their heads are each formed oval in cross section to fit correspondingly shaped holes in one of the sides of the splice bar. This arrangement is, however, common in the art. Adjacent the end, each bolt is reduced in diameter and the sleeve 4 is fitted on the portion of reduced diameter, the thickness of the sleeve bein substantially equivalent to the amount of t e reduction in diameter of the bolt. The sleeve preferably has the collar 5 formed at its end. When the bolt is fitted in place, the inner side of the collar 5 will approximately just contact with or be slightly separated from the outer side of the adjacent side of the splice bar. When the nut 6 is tightened in place, the side of the splice bar, which is securely held in position, will not bind on the web of the rail which is thus free to move lengthwise of the splice bar as the rail may contract or expand under the influence of cold and heat. The holes in the rail ends will as usual be slightly oblong as shown in Fig. l to permit of this movement of the rail ends.

The function of the sleeve 4, it will be noted, is to prevent the clamping of the sides of the splice bar against the web of the rail. As the bolt remains of its full diameter for the greater part of its length, and

as the sleeve compensates for the reduction.

of the diameter near one end, the bolts are of ample strength to resist the shearing strain to which they are subjected when roll ing stock is passing over the joint. The splice bar is engaged beneath the bases of the rails and adequately supports the same.

The formation of the means for preventing the nut and. bolt clamping the sides of the splice bar against the rail as a collar integral with a sleeve which butts against the shoulder on the bolt is important. The collar gives a good bearing for the nut and the sleeve is readily trimmed with a file so that the exact clearance desired may be obtained readily or any wear taken up at any time. It will also be noted that the bolts will be of standard size so that the joint may be readily used with present rails and no enlargement of holes is necessary which would weaken the Webs of the rails.

It is of great importance that as the size of the holes in the rail webs is not increased that each bolt should be solid and of full diameter for the greatest possible part of its length, hence the location of the shoulder formed by turning down the end of the bolt as close as possible to the outer side of the splice bar. As the splice bar is not clamped to the rail webs and cannot contact closely with the undersides of the head and the upper parts of the flange, a much greater part of the strain caused by the weight of rolling stock passing over the rail comes on the base of the splice bar than in a clamped joint and this in turn would increase the strain on the bolts if the base of the splice bar were so weak as to bend under the strain. I therefore increase the thickness of the base of the splice bar at the center and thus secure the necessary rigidity and relieve the bolts of strain.

In the joint constructed as I have described, each rail end is free to move as the rail expands or contracts and at the same time the full strength of the joint is maintained. As the expansion and contraction of the rails cannot afiect the bolts and nuts in the slightest, there is much less tendency for the latter to become unscrewed than with the ordinary construction.

Spring lock Washers 7 may be employed between the nuts 6 and the collars 5' if desired.

What I claim aS my invention is:

1. In a rail joint the combination of rail ends; a splice bar loosely embracing the Webs of the rail ends and adapted to support the rail bases; bolts passing through the splice bar and rail webs and reduced in diameter adjacent their threaded ends; sleeves fitted on the reduced ends of said bolts; and nuts screwed on said bolts engaging the sleeve ends, said sleeves engaging the shoulders formed on the bolts by reducing the ends of the bolts and being of sutficient length to prevent the sides of the splice bar jamming against the rails.

2. In a rail joint the combination of rail ends; a splice bar divided longitudinally at its under side loosely embracing the webs of the rail ends and adapted to support the rail bases; bolts passing through thesplice bar and rail webs and reduced in diameter adjacent their threaded ends; sleeves fitted on the reduced ends of said bolts; and nuts screwed on said bolts engaging the sleeve ends, said sleeves engaging the shoulders formed on the bolts by reducing the ends of the bolts and being of sufiicient length to prevent the sides of the splice bar jamming against the rails.

3. In a rail joint the combination of rail ends; a splice bar loosely embracing the webs of the rail ends and adapted to support the rail bases; bolts passing through the splice bar and rail webs and reduced in diameter adjacent their threaded ends; sleeves fitted on the reduced ends of said ou est bolts and provided with collars at their outer ends; and. nuts screwed on said bolts engaging the collars of the sleeve ends, said sleeves engaging the shoulders formed on the bolts by reducing the ends of the bolts and being of sufiicient length to prevent the sides of the splice bar jamming against the rails. I

4. In a rail joint the combination of rail ends; a. splice bar divided longitudinally at its under side loosely embracing the webs of the rail ends and adapted to support the rail bases, the base of said splice bar being increased in thickness at the middle, the thickening extending partway toward each end; bolts passing through the splice bar and rail webs and reduced in diameter adjacent their threaded ends; sleeves fitted on the reduced ends of said bolts; and nuts screwed on said bolts engaging the sleeve ends, said sleeves engaging the shoulders formed on the bolts by reducing the ends of the bolts and being of sufficient length to prevent,the sides of the splice bar jamming against the rails.

In a rail joint the combination of rail ends; a splice bar loosely embracing the webs of the rail ends and adapted to sup- I port the rail bases, the base of said splice bar being increased in thickness at the middle, the thickening extending partway 'to- Ward each end; bolts passing through the splice bar and rail Webs and reduced in diameter adjacent their threaded ends: sleeves fitted on the reduced ends of said bolts and provided with collars at their outer ends; and nuts screwed on said bolts engaging the collars of the sleeve ends, said sleeves engaging the shoulders formed on the bolts by reducing the ends of the bolts and being of sufficient length to prevent the sidps of the splice bar jamming against the rai s.

St. Thomas, Ont, this 25th day of Urtober, A. D. 1913.

ALBERT C. GEE.

Signed in the presence ot'- CHAS. W. BUSH, JOHN W. RYOKMAN. 

